The invention relates to a safety intravenous connector. More particularly, the invention relates to a connector which has an internal needle for puncturing an IV hub and providing a connection therewith, while avoiding the possibility of a needle prick to the health care professional while making said connection.
With the increased concern about the possibility of contracting blood borne diseases, such as AIDS and hepatitis, from accidental self-inflicted needle stick injuries with a possibly contaminated needle, the health care industry is presently concentrating on minimizing or eliminating the use of needles wherever possible. The FDA has urged health care workers to avoid recapping of needles after using them for intravenous (IV) and intramuscular injections. The current trend is to eliminate possible points of contact between health care professionals and needles.
Needle-less intravenous ports have been proposed in an attempt at eliminating the need for needles during certain IV procedures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,260 to Bonaldo discloses a medical connector which uses a tubular needle, and accordingly requires both male and female components to make a connection. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.